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Wednesday, February 4, 2015

Finding A Better Job Takes Effort That Not Everyone Wants To Make

Dear Tazi:

I hate my job. It is a dead-end position that I took out of desperation because I was out of work, but now I find myself wishing I had stayed on unemployment benefits and looked for something better. I am a low-skill worker with no more than a high school education, so I know I will never be rich, but I would at least like to be able to afford a few nice things while working at a job I like.

Please don't suggest that I go back to school because I can't afford it and never liked school anyway. I am just wondering how I might find a better paying position in a less demeaning job.

Signed,
Stuck In Hell

Dear Stuck In Hell:

You don't say what you are doing, just that you do not like doing it; nor do you say what you are capable of doing, just what you are not capable of doing. So long as you continue to concentrate on what you cannot do you will never find a job that plays to your strengths, which will not only bring job satisfaction but the chance to make your way out of the dead-end job where you currently find yourself.

My saying this might surprise you, but I do not believe that a college education is appropriate for everyone! Not everyone has an interest in a traditional education and not all jobs require one. I am, on the other hand, a huge proponent of vocational education and the skills that such an opportunity can provide. Depending on where you work, you can make a good living in any number of semi-skilled positions. However, in order to qualify for them, you need to learn the necessary skills.

If the company for which you currently work has any type of job-training programs or assistance, I suggest you take advantage of it. This will not only show your employer that you are better than your current job, but show them that you are willing to learn new skills in order to make a better living. You are willing to learn new skills, aren't you? Otherwise, I cannot see how you will leave the world of soul-sucking, dead-end jobs.

Some careers that require skilled and semi-skilled labor are construction, carpentry, and general labor, as well as office positions such as bookkeeping, reception, and secretarial positions. Some cities have specialized areas looking to hire, like Chemical Technology (many of these places are willing to train workers) or health and medical care.

A great way to find a better job is through networking. Tell people that you are looking for a better job and that you are willing to take advantage of on-the-job training programs; you will be surprised at the opportunities that are out there for people who are willing to think outside the box. If, in the end, all of this sounds like too much effort you will at least know why you are working a dead-end job. Good things come to those who work for them.

Snuggles,
Tazi

Ask Tazi! is ghostwritten by a human with a Bachelors of Arts in Communications. Tazi-Kat is not really a talking feline.